Customer Rating: 
Summary: Excellent compact camera
Comment: I consider myself an intermediate-level photographer. I bought this camera (3) years ago from The Wiz and have used it quite heavily in that time, taking both indoor and outdoor photos. I've also taken some nighttime photos at Christmas time with excellent results. I've been extremely happy with the image quality -- colors, clarity, vibrancy, sharpness. I've also been happy with the feel of the camera -- sturdy, doesn't feel cheap or clunky. I've taken a number of action shots with superb results except when I inadvertently move the camera. Generally I follow my subjects (children, pets, etc.) around with the camera on and the flash set properly. I keep my finger pressed lightly on the shutter button so the camera is focused on something. For me, this helps eliminates delays in autofocus and lag time between shots. I can take many shots in succession with very minimal and acceptable delay. Basically, in order to enjoy this camera, you have to have realistic expectations. For example, the flash isn't as strong as on SLR cameras, so you need to be mindful of this and use the proper film. In low light, I use 800 Kodak film. I've found this camera to be excellent for every conceivable purpose -- family portraits, close-ups, landscapes, etc. Battery life has been good for me. Each time I take in a roll to be developed, there is rarely a bad picture, and if there is, it is always my fault, not the camera's. There are (2) reasons why I'm not giving this camera (5) stars: 1) The red-eye reduction feature is inadequate. This is the one main drawback for me. I've used the standard techniques for minimizing this. When photographing adults, there's generally no problem. But pets and children can be challenging. Minolta could eliminate this problem by designing the camera with a pop-up flash similar to Nikon's. 2) In order to open the battery compartment, you need the camera cord, which has a special "key" on it to open the compartment. I don't like this since you could lose the cord or break the key.
Despite the above drawbacks, I highly recommend this camera. It has given me wonderful photographs for (3) years. It's now my back-up camera, as I've now bought one that's better at reducing red-eye. But still, it's a great camera. And if you get a photo CD, you can always try to reduce the red eye that way.
Customer Rating: Summary: Great choice
Comment: I have a Fuji Tiara APS point and shoot that I am extremely happy with. A friend of mine has a Rollei Prego 125 zoom in 35 mm that has also performed well for him. When another friend of mine was looking to replace his old camera with a compact point and shoot model, I went to a store near me that carries at least a couple of dozen different models of point and shoot cameras, to see what was available since I had purchased mine 15 months ago. This field changes so rapidly that even one year is enough to produce substantial changes in the offerings.
For example, in a recent photo book I just read (Photography for Dummies), the author mentioned the amazing fact that 15 times as many people are buying compact point-and-shoot models as are purchasing the so-called "system cameras," that is, the typical camera with interchangeable lenses offered by all the main camera makers. What this means is that the vast majority of the major maker's research budget is now going into developing small point-and-shoot cameras. And twice as many people as bought point-and-shoots purchased disposible cameras last year. Who would have thought?
This store didn't have the Fuji Tiara or the Rollei Prego, but they did have this model and also the Minolta Explorer EX, as well as many of the other top point and shoot cameras offered today, such as the Olympus Stylus Epic and Infinity models, which are also great little performers.
This camera caught my eye as it's one of the smallest cameras out there offering all these features. I usually recommend people not go over 3X in a zoom lens in a small point-and-shoot, but with this little camera, I am willing to make an exception. Although I haven't tested it myself personally, the lens is supposed excellent. It consists of 6 elements in 6 groups, including aspherical elements, and has a 900-step focusing system, all of which are supposed to create a very sharp lens.
Another useful feature is the passive rather than active focusing system. Active focusing uses infrared to focus, and this creates problems trying to snap a quick shot through a window, or the windshield of your car, because the infrared beam will bounce off the glass six inches in front of your nose, producing a blurred shot. This means you have to enable "infinity lock" before you shoot, which is an extra step that could even cause you to miss the picture. Passive focus systems are usually sensitive to vertical lines, so this isn't a problem with them. This is the only complaint I have with my Fuji Tiara model.
The new Nikon 125mm point and shoot also uses aspherical optics and is supposed to be very sharp also. If you decide not to go with the Explorer EX, you might want to check out this model.
